. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/TBT/N/BHR/244 
13 July 2011  
 (11-3464) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6 
 
1. Notifying Member:  KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN 
If applicable, name of local governme nt involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):     
2. Agency responsible:  Standards & Metrology Directorate (BSMD) 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above :   
Ministry of Industry and Commerce 
P.O. Box:  5479, Kingdom of Bahrain Tel.:  +973 17574880 Fax:  +973 17530730 E-mail:  bsmd@moic.gov.bh  
Website:  http://www.moic.gov.bh  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:   
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Rice Kernels, ICS: 67.060 
5. Title, number of pages and langua ge(s) of the notified document:  Rice Kernels (14 pages 
in Arabic; 10 pages in English). 
6. Description of content:  This draft technical regulation spec ifies the requirements stated in 
the Gulf standard GSO 1003 "Ric e Kernels" under clau ses 8,1 & 9 (packaging & labelling) as 
mandatory requirements such  that kernels shall be packaged in suitable, clean, sufficiently 
strong and well stitched sacks or containers, not  previously used and have no contaminating 
effect on the product or its quality characteristics.  
It describes label requirements such as :  
 Rice type: white, brown, parboiled (Mazza or Sella). 
 Country of origin 
 Length of kernels (long, medium, short). 
 White rice color un-parboiled (wh ite brown, white, extra white). 
 Total percentage of  broken kernels. 
 Percentage of each broken part (%head, %large, %medium, %small). 
 Crop year (…crop). 
 Vitamins and minerals (if found). 
 Additives (if found). G/TBT/N/BHR/244 
Page 2  
 
   Produced from genetically modi fied organism (if found). 
 In addition to the above mentioned, it shall only be indicated on sack or container if 
product contains at least 93% Basmati rice, if it is below than 93% then the word 
"Basmati" cannot be used. 
 Labelling and adjoining explanatory statements  shall be in Arabic and, where another 
language is used, it shall be alongside the Arabic. All the information provided in another language shall be identical to that written in Arabic. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:  To 
maintain consumer protection and food safety  
8. Relevant documents:   
 GSO  "Rice Kernels". 
 Codex Alimentarius 1995. Codex St andard 198-1995. Volume 7 (53-60) 
 International Standard 1998. Rice specification 7301-1998. 
 Indian Order No. S.O 67 - 68 (E)- Basmati rice - Date 23 January 2003 
 British code of practice for Basmati rice - July 2005 
 Protocol for the identification of selected Basmati Rice varieties"- Food Standards 
Agency, London, and CAZS, University of Wales, Bangor - February 2005. 
 Protocol for the quantitative analysis of adulteration of basmati rice with sherati, 
mugad sugandha, pak 386 or  superfine" - Food Standards Agency, London, and 
CAZS, University of Wales, Bangor - February 2006.   
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:   To be determined 
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from the notification date 
11. Text available from:  National enquiry point [X], or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addres ses, if available of the other body: